Where does waste from marriage halls go, asks chief justice

Allows hall owners to file objections over federal ombudsman’s report

ISLAMABAD: The top court on Wednesday asked where do marriage halls and marquees in the capital dump their trash.

The question came up as a three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard a suo motu case pertaining to the construction of unauthorised marriage halls and marquees within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

During the proceedings on Wednesday, Justice Bandial once again raised the question about the waste generated by these establishments.

At this, the Additional Attorney General (AAG) told the court that according to CDA regulations, marriage halls and marquees are bound to make arrangements for disposal of sewerage and other wastes of weddings.

At this, the counsel for marriage halls and marquees contended that they must be provided with an opportunity to file objections against a report submitted by the federal ombudsman.

The apex court granted the request. “Whoever wants to submit his objections on the federal ombudsman’s report must submit it until Wednesday night. After this, no objection would be entertained,” the chief justice remarked.

Recently, Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) had not only ordered CDA to take indiscriminate action against encroachments and commercial activities by marriage halls in Islamabad but to regularise such construction across the city.

Sector E-11, Sector G-12 and the areas around the Islamabad Expressway and Kashmir Highway have seen a mushroom growth of restaurants, boutiques, marquees, marriage halls, media houses and other outlets.

Even though these are relatively new vicinities of the capital, the CDA had served them eviction notices for non-conforming use of land.

Following the court’s orders, the CDA had submitted a report to the top court stating that there were as many as 70 wedding halls and marquees operating in different parts of the city in violation of the civic agency’s rules.

According to the CDA report, there are 12 such marquees operating in the newly developed Sector E-11, two in Sector H-13, six in Sector G-12 and 20 along the Islamabad Expressway.

There were a number of wedding halls and marquees which operating along Lehtrar Road in Bhara Kahu.

Most of these facilities, the report said, lack any parking space for visitors.

As per the new parameters wedding halls and marquees seeking CDA’s endorsement must be spread over at least four kanals of land.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2018.